Salesforce Approval Process

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November 12, 2025

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Introduction

In Salesforce, business processes often require records to be reviewed and approved before they are finalized.
For example:

• A student admission request
• An offer letter approval
• A leave request
• A reimbursement or budget request

To manage this, Salesforce provides a powerful automation tool called the Approval Process.

What is an Approval Process?

An Approval Process automates record review.

• It ensures that records go through proper approval before being finalized.
• Business uses: Leave approval, Budget approvals, Offer Letter finalization.

Key Components of Approval Process

1. Entry Criteria — When process should start
2. Approver — Who will approve
3. Actions — What happens on approve / reject
4. Email Notifications 5. Record Locking

Example

We will create approval process for Student Admission / Offer Letter Approval.

Process Flow

User submits → Manager reviews → Approve/Reject → Status updates

Steps to Create Approval Process

Step-1: Go to Approval Processes

• Go to Setup
• Search Approval Processes
• Select your Object (Example: Offer Letter)

Step-2: Create New Approval Process

• Click New Approval Process
• Select Use Standard Setup Wizard

Step-3: Enter Process Details

• Provide Name
• Add Description
• Click Next

Step-4: Set Entry Criteria

Step-5: Specify Approver Field and Record Editability Properties

Select one:

Step-6: Select Fields to Display on Approval Page Layout

Step-7: Define Approval & Rejection Actions

After Creating the Process – Important Steps

Add “Submit for Approval” Button on Page Layout

• Object → Page Layout
• Drag Submit for Approval button into Salesforce Mobile & Lightning Actions
• Save

How to Submit a Record for Approval

1. Open the record
2. Click Submit for Approval
3. Select Approver
4. Add Comments
5. Submit

Approver Side

Approver can:

• ✔ Approve
• ❌ Reject
• 💬 Add comments

Record status changes accordingly.

Benefits of Approval Process 

Conclusion

Salesforce Approval Process helps automate approvals, ensure data quality, and maintain authorization structure within an organization.
With simple setup and strong audit control, it’s an essential feature every Salesforce Admin must master – especially for HR, Finance, and Education workflows.

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